Moonlit Crimson
by Sandylee007
Summary: In a world not too far in future a war rages with three different, brutal sides. What happens when, against all laws and rules, a werewolf and a vampire fall in love? Can such an obscene love story have a happy ending? AU VAMPIRE WEREWOLF FIC NaruFEMSasu
1. Prologue

A/N: A reader suggested that I should make a vampire-style FEMSasu fic, and I was immediately so hooked on the idea that I just couldn't hold myself back. So, as a result, here's the first chappy for you to take a look at. (grins)

Eh… First of, **words of warning**. As briefly mentioned, this is FEMSasu, so if that's not your cup of tea I'm afraid you won't have a very enjoyable ride. (winces) Also, if this continues this will be VERY gore, the bloodiest etc. story I've ever written – this is rated M for a VERY good reason. (shudders) Hmm… What else…? Well, knowing me, A LOT of general weirdness that may tick some readers off. (smirks sheepishly) And, of course, the language isn't fit for younglings, but I'm sure you've gathered that much already. (snickers)

**About the ages.** Naruto and Sasuke appear around sixteen-years-old in this one. The rest of the loft also looks the same age as in the manga/anime, un.

Awkay, there's no point in stalling it any further, so here we go! I really hope you'll like.

* * *

Definition of color crimson (to clear out the title):

Dark crimson stands for inner beauty and inner strength. It represents soul mates - a connection without words. (Caught from a website – NOT written by me.)

As we all know, crimson is also often used to describe blood.

* * *

/ _Despite the bonfires that seemed to burn everywhere the night was unusually dark while Shizune made her way through the coldness of winter, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She'd almost reached her destination when a certain sight made her freeze where she was._

_Right before her – all but crucified to wooden crosses – were the burning bodies of a man and a woman. She staggered a step backwards, bringing a hand to her mouth to keep herself from vomiting as an unbelievable stench met her nose. Her eyes burned – because of the smell, threatening tears or something else, she didn't know._

Vampires…!

_Since the old race of vampires had been dragged out of the shadows, she'd seen this penalty being carried out far more times than was necessary to make sure she knew perfectly what these two were. She was one of the few people who considered this punishment as inhuman._

_Just then her ears caught something – a baby's cry. Feeling almost startled she lowered her gaze. A gasp erupted when she discovered a clearly newborn, hysterically crying baby girl, placed into a basket nearby the crosses._

_Her eyes started to widen as understanding dawned slowly yet surely._

This… baby…

_Once more her gaze rose to the flaming corpses, although they were the last thing she would've wanted to see. Was it their child she'd just discovered? Most likely yes – she'd seen babies of vampires get killed like this before. And at that moment her heart all but broke._

_Yes, she knew with much too deep certainty what this baby girl was, how dangerous it might be to protect something like her. But… If she'd leave this infant freezing to death she'd be a monster, no better than those who'd killed the child's parents._

_And with that thought she made her decision._

_She smiled faintly, shakily, while kneeling down slowly and picking the baby carefully into her arms. " It's… It's okay now", she murmured, cradling the child close to her. She spoke again when dazzling, dark eyes met hers. " I'll take you home now… Sasuke. So don't worry."_

_Despite her soothing words the baby kept crying, almost like knowing…_ /

* * *

/ _The hospital was even busier than usually while Dr. Kurenai Yuuhi stopped in the middle of a run when noticing a man with brown hair and eyes of the same color burst in through the front doors, with a petrified look upon his face. At first she felt confused, but her eyes widened when she noticed what he was carrying._

_It… was an unconscious woman, a badly bleeding one._

" _She… She's in a labor", the man managed. " I think… I think something's wrong."_

-

_During the following five hours every single person who made their way into the theater worked their hardest to save the woman's life, as well as the baby's. In the end, however, the damage done to her was revealed much too deep._

_The baby – a boy they hurriedly decided to name Naruto – cried helplessly, as though grieving._

_Kurenai sighed heavily while taking a look towards the clock. " Time of death, twenty-three ten", she murmured barely audibly._

" _Dr. Yuuhi, the… the baby." A shuddering nurse's voice caught her attention. " There's… Something wrong."_

_She turned around with a frown – and shuddered. Although the baby boy – who had the most amazing blue eyes she'd ever seen – seemed perfectly normal otherwise, she couldn't help noticing some things that unnerved her. There seemed to be a dark fur covering most of the child's skin, and… Were those teeth she saw…?_

_She swallowed thickly. " Take him to observation, will you? We better keep an eye on him."_

_By the time the next morning dawned, however, the baby had disappeared._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Prologue

/ **Tokyo, September 2065.** /

* * *

Unlike most of his pack mates, who (despite their truest nature) preferred going outside if necessary during days as much as possible to avoid unwanted contacts, Naruto had always loved nighttime.

He loved the scent of danger he felt every time he opened a window just before going to sleep, enjoyed the cool breeze that touched his skin as night wind blew in to greed him. It felt like something out there had been calling him, almost.

Despite all those urges, however, he'd never had the guts to actually go outside after the sunset. It wasn't like he would've feared everything looming out there, been afraid of those things he'd been warned about since early childhood. He believed with utmost confidence that he would've managed to stand his ground against them. But the rules of his pack were strict, and he didn't feel like getting into any more trouble than he was already due to his antics.

That night, however, fate finally gave him the push he'd been looking for in the form of his best friend, Kiba.

The brunette – who was currently still in his human form – didn't seem surprised at all when finding him stood before a window. " You'll get us all sick at this rate, you know?" the other commented, sounding fairly irritated as well as amused.

He grinned sheepishly, his sharp teeth showing clearly. " 'Sorry. I'll close the window in a minute."

Just then a gleam that always predicted something quite unpleasant rose into Kiba's eyes. " You know what?" The brunette rubbed his already slightly hairy hands together with excitement. " Since you love the night so much, we've gotta go and see if it's worthy of your expectations. Because I don't want to see that annoying longing look on your face ever again."

He frowned, feeling shivers. " You know we're not allowed to go outside at this hour – the rules bind us just as much as humans."

Kiba scoffed, already starting to transform. " Since when have you cared about the rules? I know you've sneaked in to see that human – Sakura." The brunette grinned exactly like a canine, his metamorphose was almost completed. " Unless, of course, you're a Scaredy Cat."

He growled from the back of his throat, rolling his eyes. That nickname had finally done it – he was _not_ going to back off. " Yeah, right, cat breath." To him, the long nails growing and sharp teeth appearing along with an almost black fur were something so natural that he didn't manage to be unsettled by them. " Show me what you've got."

-

As they disappeared with laugh like yelps of delight, they had no idea of the pair of eyes that observed them with a deeply irritated flash.

* * *

The shadows over Tokyo were dark and heavy while Sasuke stood on the highest rooftop of the city, her bloodstained eyes fixed on the landscape spreading below and wind billowing in her long grown black hair.

It didn't bother her that it was dark – after all, out of necessity shadows were pretty much all she'd seen during her life. At the moment the city – its sky-high towers as well as the worst, most stinking ones of slums – bathed in darkness, only dots of light that seemed hopelessly small to her providing them an illusion of light. It was silent, as though no one had lived in the city at all, although her unnaturally sharp eyes easily caught a lot of movement down below.

Sometimes, like tonight, she amused herself with wondering what the city would look like in daytime, when it would be sunlight caressing the fully awake city, when all the shadows and darkness of nighttime would be gone.

It was foolish, she knew, because someone like she would never get to see such a thing. But that didn't stop her from dreaming that perhaps one day…

" So here you are." Kabuto's voice made her grimace with distaste. " Orochimaru-sama's been trying to call for you three hours already."

" Yes, I know." Her voice was nothing but a hiss while her fangs became revealed. " I chose to ignore him."

Ah, she could just feel how badly Kabuto would've wanted to hit her. " You know he doesn't like waiting."

She snorted. _And you think I care?_ Very slowly she calmed down enough to stop digging her own grave. " So, what's the emergency?"

" A new group of Hunters has been reported." Kabuto's voice was stiff and formal, back to normal. " We've also received several complaints of unauthorized movement."

Her eyebrow arched. " And Orochimaru thinks this is something I should bother taking a look at?" Damn, had she pissed the man off _this_ badly?

" It's level five movement."

Now _that _caught her attention. She nodded, then turned around and walked past Kabuto without giving the other a proper look. " I'll take a look at it, then."

Kabuto's voice stopped her just before she would've managed to walk away. " One more thing." It sounded like a whip's hit. " This is your life, your world", the other announced in a harsh voice she'd grown used to hearing ever so often. " Accept what you are, what's in your blood, or become wiped out. The choice is yours. I suggest you think carefully before making up your mind."

Her eyes flashed while she snorted. " And you honestly think the choice is in my hands?" She waved a hand without looking at the gray haired. " See you later."

She could feel eyes on her while she stood on the opposite ledge of the roof, then jumped into emptiness.

She was fairly sure she heard a scoff just before she was too far down to hear. " Showoff."

* * *

That night the wheel of fate spun, pushing two unlikely heroes to a dangerous, bloody road that'd inevitably lead them to each other…

* * *

TBC, or does it?

* * *

A/N: So… (gulps nervously) What do you think – is this worth getting more chapters, or should I suck life right out of this one?

It's your call, folks, so **PLEASE**, do leave a note as to what you think!

Heh, I've already been writing WAAAAY too much today and my eyes are barely open anymore, so I better start tuning out.

Until next time, folks – with whatever fic it'll be!

Peace out!


	2. Seeds Of Connections

A/N: Hey there! I'm back, and FOR ONCE in less than half a decade – HOORAY! (makes backflips)

But first… MAN – you guys REALLY want this to continue at least for now, don't you? All those reviews…! (gets stars into eyes, then glomps) Thank you, THANK YOU! You can't even imagine how happy I am right now. (Heh, sorry 'bout that. I've got a rather nasty flue incoming, and I always get even wackier than usual when that happens.) As per usual in my ficcies, **responses to anonymous **reviews can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Awkay, because I bet you all want to just get going, let's stop the babbling and get on with it, ne? (grins) I REALLY hope you'll enjoy.

WARNING: Due to that mentioned flue, my proofreading most likely SUCKS. (winces) 'Hope you'll bear with me. (sniffs, loudly) (Flue's NO fun!)

WARNING 2 (BOY do I have a lot of these today!): This chapters reveals a second (and last) gender bending in this ficcy. Just so you know to be prepared. (grins mysteriously) 'Hope you'll like the twist.

* * *

There was one particular part of the city every inhabitant was particularly reluctant to approach – the very borderline, a pitch black desolate area, nearby which countless bodies of humans, vampires and werewolves had been buried or tossed. Amusingly enough that chilling place was also the only place where those three parties could be without fighting, where the war was forgotten. Death knew no pride and prejudices.

A huge, rather fat raven, which was even darker than its surroundings, was just feasting on a fresh, new corpse when its head perked up at the sound it recognized very well. Steps.

Its eyes, sharp with greed, turned to see a lonely figure stumbling forth past bodies, crosses, tombstones, dirt and debris. Moonlight revealed a horrendous amount of crimson blood. The animal's black eyes flashed while the arrival swayed violently, ending up leading against a stone.

This one wouldn't last long, it knew.

Just then, as though confirming its chilling thoughts, the stranger swayed once more, then fell to the ground with a loud thud any emotional being would've called sickening.

The bird gave a gluttonous, sharp cry of victory. Forgetting its former meal it spread its wings and started to head towards this new target, thinking it'd spotted an easy pray. That's where it miscalculated.

It gave another cry – this time that of startle – when the traveler suddenly rose to hands and knees, trembling pitiably. A wheeze could barely be heard. " …ke…"

Deciding to stop by again later the raven rose to its wings and flew away, emitting vicious snarls of disappointment.

As soon as the bird was gone the stranger slumped down once more. This time there was no movement.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Seeds Of Connections

* * *

Naruto had never experienced the kind of freedom he did that night, zooming through the city with no mind or caution. He laughed, then let his lungs fill and swell with fresh air. (He never noticed the reek of death, paid no attention to the ruins and signs of destruction everywhere around him.)

" Damn it, Naruto, slow down!" Kiba gave a yelp like pant from behind him. He could hear ragged, labored breaths. " You'll… have us both… killed!"

He grinned sheepishly while stopping, turning around and returning to his human form. " 'Sorry. I never realized you're in that shitty shape."

Kiba's eyes also flashed while the boy returned to his human form. " Hey, watch it! Do you want me to scratch your eyes out, Catmint?"

Naruto was in a far too good mood to become insulted, instead he stuck his tongue out playfully. Just then he stiffened, sensing something he couldn't identify.

Seeing his change of mood Kiba frowned. " What's up?"

He frowned as well, letting his nose and ears move. " I… don't know." He licked his lips restlessly. " I just sensed someone, or something." He didn't feel like adding how his heart had started to thump with excitement, as though he'd been in a heat of some sort.

Kiba gave him a weird look.

They never had the time to figure out what was going on, because just then they got their hands full of other matters. Five male humans appeared out of nowhere, carrying very unpleasant expressions.

* * *

One of the things Sasuke had always been praised for were her amazing instincts. That's why it wasn't that much of a surprise that she could tell something was going on when she froze to a rooftop nearby the east end of the city, her eyes flashing red.

Shouts, blood… Something was going on.

After estimating the situation for a moment she walked up to the ledge of the roof without making a sound, then peered down. One of her eyebrows bounced up before both of them furrowed.

_What the…?!_

Down below, five human soldiers had circled two teenage looking boys – werewolves, she gathered in a matter of moments – and were currently throwing rocks and other junk while snarling insults.

The brunette one of the two managed to escape narrowly while changing to his wolf form, but stopped after only some steps when his friend remained frozen. " Naruto, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The bark-like sound was filled with utter terror. " Get the hell away from there! Don't try to fight them!"

The other, however, didn't obey, didn't even transfer away from his human form. " No." The voice was firm, yet shivered just a little. " I'm sick of running away. I need to do this."  
Yes, of course she knew leaving would've been the most reasonable thing to do – after all she'd already completed her mission of confirming this type of a movement, and it would've been her best interest to let these to parties destroy one another. But for some reason her legs refused to take her the other way.

Her eyes narrowed.

_Damn it…_

She was already flying towards the ground when that thought was finished.

* * *

Naruto's heart thumped furiously while he tried to prepare himself for the inevitable, desperately attempted to summon all the skills that'd been taught to him.

He was supposed to be a warrior, damn it! He couldn't freeze like this.

The leader of the humans grinned so that teeth shone in moonlight, lifting a weapon this time. " Damn, it's going to feel good to get rid of yet another one of your kind."

He gave a howl, almost starting to transform, until the sound turned into a gasp as blood flew on him. His eyes widened while he watched the man who'd just threatened him gurgle wetly, holding on to a gaping, violently bleeding wound on his throat. The battle was, however, soon lost and the man sunk to the ground, remained unmoving.

His eyes widened still when he turned his head to see a girl with blazing, red eyes and black hair stood beside him, fangs sparkling red and white in the moonlight. " Go", the vampire snarled viciously, shooting a glare his way. " I already told your friend to get the hell away from here – you should do the same."

His head spun with disbelief.

Was this… vampire actually protecting him? What the hell was going on?

The raven's eyes were red when slashing towards him after a couple of seconds. " How much of a idiot are you?" she all but hissed, her still revealed fangs shining chillingly in moonlight. She fought back remarkably skillfully when the remaining humans attacked, finally awakening from their stupor and outraged by the fate of their friend. " Run!"

He frowned, hating the idea although his reason told him he shouldn't have.

She was an enemy – right? There was no reason for him to care what happened to her.

He snarled, revealing his teeth, and joined the fight, transforming. " The hell I'm letting a vampire finish this up for me." Though a huge part of him knew that wasn't the only reason.

The raven reacted with something that sounded like a huff, then focused on the battle at hand.

Although Naruto had a been a werewolf for all his life and the war had raged on all that time, the events that followed nonetheless horrified him – after all, he'd only killed twice before this. The sheer ferocity and vengeful violence of the human attackers, the smell, taste and sight of blood when his nails and bite accidentally finished off one of them… He howled with horror when crimson showered on him, unable to scream in his wolf-form, and prayed from the bottom of his heart that he'd wake up from this nightmare, that this would be nothing but a dream.

" Naruto." The young female vampire's voice barely caught his attention. Her by then black eyes were sharp and full of alertness when meeting his. " Don't you dare throw up or pass out on me, got it? You need to stay focused."

He nodded, although his mind refused to start working properly. He watched how the vampire's blade (when the heck had she pulled it out?!, he wondered) slashed the last of the attackers. It became deadly silent in the alleyway.

He found himself panting, and only then realized that he'd been holding his breath. " Gah…", was all he managed. And that was when he threw up, the sight of five butchered corpses and the stomach turning odor around him kicking in.

The raven emitted a groan. " Nice." She then hissed, pressing a hand against her arm. " Fuck…"

He frowned, not realizing why he felt a hint of worry when noticing the blood that escaped through her fingers. " Are you… okay?" That flash he'd seen at some point… It hadn't been a silver bullet, had it?

The vampire seemed deeply irritated – with him or herself, he didn't know. " I'll be perfectly fine, idiot." She then turned around, obviously sealing their conversation. " Now go back to your pathetic pack and forget about this, alright? It's the best for us both if we just pretend that this never happened."

She'd disappeared into shadows before he could do a thing, leaving him there in utter, mind numbing confusion.

The two of them couldn't possibly know that three pairs of eyes observed them.

-

Hidan, who was stood on a nearby rooftop, licked his lips hungrily while watching the scenario unfolding, his eyes flashing with curiosity. " Now that's interesting."

His partner's – Kakuzu's – eyes flashed while the older man whirled around gracefully. " Hn." The male started to walk away and he followed rapidly, not wanting to be ditched pathetically. " We better report to Leader. He may find this interesting as well."

-

From a nearby alleyway Sai watched how Naruto stood still in confusion for a couple of more seconds before spinning around and sprinting away, as though trying to run away from the horrendous butchery around him.

Once the werewolf had disappeared he drew in a deep sigh, trying his best to convince himself that there was nothing he could've done to stop this – he'd showed up seconds after the last human had been killed. He didn't even have his weaponry along – he wasn't on duty.

Right now all he could do was report Danzo. Unfortunately the man wasn't known for taking bad news well.

Apparently vampires and werewolves were having at least some sort of cooperation. For humans the news didn't get any worse from there.

He disappeared in a blink.

* * *

About half an hour later Neji Hyuuga stood in a rather small, dimly lit room in the base building of humans, his vacant, pale eyes locked to a certain sight.

In a incubator before him rested – or no, fought for her life, he corrected himself sharply – a tiny baby girl, hooked on so many machines that it chilled him and made the rage living in his chest grow violently.

It was _their_ fault that this child – his daughter – had ended up like this. It wasn't the child's fault that her mother had been attacked by vampires, that her mother had died straight after giving birth. Doctors said his daughter could only avoid turning into a monster in this comatose state and with a harsh medication. For the about umpteenth time in his life he felt helpless.

He _hated_ feeling helpless.

" Sir?" Considering his young age, he usually found such an honorific amusing. Today, however, it only succeeded in irritating him. " I'm sorry to disturb you, but this is important."

Gritting his teeth to keep himself from saying something he might've regretted later, he turned to meet Shino, one of his most trusted men. " What is it?" His voice was rigid, but at least not a snap.

" Shikamaru's team… It caught one of _them_." Shino's voice shuddered barely traceably, which was something not heard often. " I think you should come."

He was deep in thought while following his subordinate through the maze like building, and didn't snap back into full awareness until they walked through a extremely tightly locked door, and came into a enormous laboratory.

" Where's the prisoner?" he inquired from the five people he could see hovering around a operation table, his voice cold and almost monotonic.

The people immediately moved. " She's in an excellent condition", one of them informed. " She may even be gravid."

He barely heard, for just then he was allowed a clear visual of the prisoner. He was mildly surprised to find himself wanting to take a step backwards.

The creature – a girl, he wouldn't allow himself to think – wasn't what he'd expected. In fact he almost considered her attractive with the slender figure and long, white hair. What got to him the most, however, were the eyes. The green orbs looking up at him weren't those he'd expected – bloodthirsty and violent. Instead he met silent terror and sadness, such he'd never encountered before.

He, however, gathered himself quickly, reminding himself of facts.

This… being wasn't something he should've felt sorry for, should've cared about. It was one of _them_. And it was his destiny to destroy them, one by one.

That thought alone gave him the strength turning around and walking away required. " Make the experiments Danzo requires. Get out as much information as you can."

" Yes, Sir."

The huge room's door made a hollow sound when closing after him.

* * *

Naruto knew to expect trouble while he waited for his turn outside the leader's door in the werewolf's' base building. That's why he wasn't taken aback by the expression upon Kiba's face when the brunette emerged. " I'm sorry. I had to tell her."

He shivered, then sighed heavily. _Here we go again…_ " It's okay." Slowly and unwillingly, he started to make his way towards the pack leader's room. " Better go and face the music, ne?"

He barely heard Kiba's wishes of good luck.

Far faster than he would've wanted to he was stood by the door and knocked. In a matter of moments a female voice responded. " _Come in._"

He winced at the tone. Great, so she was already in a bad mood.

He was embarrassed by the fact that he trembled while opening the door and entering. " Look… I can explain…"

" Explain?" Koharu Utatane (1) seemed even more terrifying than he'd recalled. Her eyes were burning with nearly exploding wrath. " You break our rules and strict orders, and end up dealing with _both_ humans _and _vampires! And you think you can explain?!" She took a deep breath, but didn't calm down much. " Naruto, you could've gotten yourself killed, or ended into interrogation. And you may have led them _here_. You risked the lives of every single one in this pack."

He stared at her in utter bewilderment for a moment, desperately trying to come up with something reasonable to say. " I'm sorry", was what crawled through his throat in the end.

Koharu snorted. " Sorry?" He could hear how she grit her teeth. " We're at war, Naruto – although you don't seem to understand it. Selfish decisions like the one you just made can turn out to cost us a lot. Do not make me question your loyalty along with your skill level."

His eyes flashed, his temper taking over. " I'm more than capable – you've seen me fight and you know that!" His shoulders slumped at the sight of her pitiful look. " I just… need a little practice, that's all." In all honesty he wouldn't have wanted to be a killer, wouldn't have wanted to harm anyone, but the acceptance of his pack – the one that'd saved his life… It would've meant the world and more to him.

The woman's eyes were, however, merciless when meeting his. " You're half breed – I've never expected much of you. But I swear, if you ever pull a stunt like this again you'll never have a place in this pack again. Do you understand?"

He nodded, his throat feeling unnaturally tight. " Yeah, I do."

" Good. Then get out of my sight before I decide to be much less merciful."

He left the room as fast as he could, then leaned against the nearest wall he could find. His eyes – shimmering when faint traces of light hit them – once again rose towards the moon shining high up in the sky.

Gosh, he'd always loved that sight, but tonight… Tonight, the longing was too much, almost unbearable for some reason.

After a couple of moments everyone in the building exchanged sighs and knowing shakes of head when his howl ran through the hallways.

* * *

When Sasuke finally returned to the base – feeling oddly drowsy and dizzy, and inwardly cursing the pain on her injured arm – she frowned when entering the main hall and discovering that pretty much every vampire had gathered there. Meetings were common, but this time she could sense that something was badly out of place.

" What's wrong?"

The first one to react was Gaara, whose eyes smoldered chillingly. The redhead seemed fully ready to kill someone. " They caught Kimimaro", the boy hissed. " They fucking caught Kimimaro, like she'd been an animal of some sort!" The male breathed sharply through his nose, clenching and unclenching his fists at least five times. " They got her – and the baby."

Although she knew it would've been best to show no emotions, her eyes widened barely traceably and she shuddered a bit.

Every single vampire knew exactly what happened to those who were captured – they'd been shipped back more than enough bodies to give a clear picture. Her best friend's mate… had barely any hope.

" So, Gaara-kun…" Orochimaru's sickly smooth voice made her shudder inside, as did the look in the man's eyes. " Do you want revenge – do you want to spill their blood for hers?"

Gaara's eyes flashed in a way that chilled her. Sharp fangs were revealed. " Yes."

Orochimaru made a sound of pleasure. " Very good." The man then looked towards the crowd gathered around. " Listen, everyone. One of us has been taken away tonight." Dangerous eyes flashed. " It's time to pay back the blood they're about to spill, isn't it?" A thunder like roar was his response, and the man smirked icily. " In that case we will show them that we can't be taken down this easily – that we are not to be underestimated. The war will continue, and this time it will be their blood staining the streets – their flesh burning. We will pay back everything we've been through."

Another set of roars that wouldn't settle exploded while the man turned around and left.

In the covers of the noise Sasuke found it safe to murmur to Gaara. " You know he doesn't give a damn about Kimimaro."

The redhead nodded, eyes burning. " I do." The male then looked at her. " But I also know that this – playing into his pocket – is the only way I have to get Kimimaro and our baby back. There's nothing else I can do." The redhead took a deep breath, visibly fighting not to surrender under a bubbling killing rampage. " I have to go now." The other started to distance faster than she could blink, driven by sheer desperation and rage.

Fighting the urge to shake her head, she focused on other things once the redhead's back had disappeared from her sight. Her heart clenched while she watched the crowd around her, became overwhelmed by the seemingly never ending war screams.

This madness would never end, she realized.

Swallowing down a sigh she turned around and left, feeling sick in several ways. On her way she cast a glance towards Suigetsu, one of her few friends here, who was watching the havoc around them with amusement. " Are you coming?" she all but snarled, unable to block away fury.

The male nodded, eyes flashing. " Yup."

With that they disappeared into shadows.

* * *

Some hours later Sakura – who was just bringing a candle to the graveyard nearby the city's borderline, just to let everyone there know they weren't forgotten – froze and shivered, feeling something strange.

" What's wrong?" Sai – who volunteered to escort her ever so often to guarantee her safety – inquired in a voice that sounded monotonous to most.

She shook her head with a frown. " I… don't know." Just then her eyes spotted what they'd been looking for subconsciously. She gasped, and the candle she'd been holding fell as she started to run towards the figure slumped next to a tombstone. " Shit…"

Although she liked Sai's company in general, she paid no mind to him while kneeling to the bloodied bundle's side. With a quick observation she discovered that it was in fact a young male with long grown black hair that currently framed his unnaturally pale face in a messy cloud. There were several deep wounds all over his body, two such splitting the sides of his mouth. She didn't even want to know what'd been done to him – all that mattered to her was that he'd die of one cause or another if he wouldn't be taken into safety soon.

Sai frowned while observing the male with mistrusting eyes. " _What_ is he?"

She felt like punching him, and it took her all to keep her voice even. " Do you honestly care? He's dying." After composing herself for a second she placed one of her arms to support the stranger. " Now, are you going to help me or leave?"

Without saying a word or showing a single trace of emotions Sai walked up to her and started to help her.

While they entered the house she currently inhabited some time later, she couldn't help noticing that the sunrise was scarlet. She wondered what that could mean.

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

1) Because I'm sure many of you won't remember, this woman in fact isn't an OC. She was a teammate of Third Hokage's. Such that (at least for a while) considered Naruto filth. (hisses)

* * *

A/N: So… (gulps somewhat nervously) Good, sufficient, bad, absolutely terrible?

But heh, all three parties have now been introduced. It seems things won't be calming down for our adorable duo anytime soon. And wait, who's that stranger…?

Agh, I've gotta go and blow my nose – or crash my head against the nearest wall to knock myself into sleep – now. (sniffs) PLEASE, do review before hopping away. Pwease?

Until next time – heh, at least hopefully!

Take care!

* * *

**Lovette**: Yosh! I'm beyond happy to hear you liked the first bit that much. (grins like a sunshine)

Gigantic thank yous for the review! I REALLY hope you'll like the rest of the story as much.


	3. The Beginning Of A Storm

A/N: Gah! I'm still in the land of the living, folks – though with a nice 'lil sinusitis and medication. (winces) At least the flue's finally subsiding. And, what's best, I'm back with a new chappy. (grins)

BUT, before letting you get to the actual business… DANG – goodness, you guys really want this to continue, huh? (gawks with astonishment) All those reviews… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! (huggles) You've really cheered me up, ya know? (grins radiantly) **Responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Oukey, because I don't have the heart to keep stalling any longer… Let's roll! (claps hands together with excitement) I REALLY hope you'll have a great ride.

Oh, and btw! To avoid confusion, there's **a list of species and gender of every character** at the end of the chapter. So, if you're wondering, just take a peak, un. (grins)

* * *

/ _Naruto had always been curios by his nature – far too much so for his own good. One day when he was very young it almost cost him his life._

_Despite all other commands, laws and rules, he was wandering around the city when his eyes suddenly spotted something that caught his interest. Two boys at around his age, playing with what'd he'd been introduced as football._

_One of the boys lifted his gaze and blinked at him. " Huh?"_

_He grinned, completely oblivious to the fact that he should've been careful. " That looks like fun. Can I play, too?" He'd never been truly accepted around his pack – everyone muttered about 'half breed' and 'nuisance' behind his back. Maybe these humans would be a different story._

_The other boy looked at him with childlike curiosity. " You're not human, are you?"_

_He nodded his confirmation, feeling proud instead of wary. " I'm a werewolf. My name is Naruto."_

_The first boy had already opened his mouth and taken a step closer, when a man's roar stopped him. " Do not approach that thing! You don't even know what it could do to you!"_

_He swallowed thickly, watching how two large men – the boys' fathers, no doubt – approached with expressions that chilled him._

" _Get the hell away from here!" the second man yelled, casting a stone. _

_He was forced to start running when even more stones flew. The men didn't stop attacking and cursing until he was out of sight, stumbling into a stinking alleyway with heartbreaking whimpers._

_It was the first time he realized just how deep the hatred of people went. And it was the first time he cried because of what he was._ /

* * *

/ _For all her life Sasuke had considered Shizune her mother – after all, the woman was the only parent she could remember, regardless to the difference of their species._

_That night, when she'd still been young and childish, her eyes were already drooping while she rested in Shizune's lap, cuddled safely to the woman's chest. " One more story", she murmured a demand while the raven put away a book._

_Shizune gave a small laughter. " Sasuke, you're stalling." The woman stroked her hair. " It's already way past your bedtime, and even Itachi's already in his bed."  
She bit her lip and looked pleadingly into the woman's eyes. " Please?"_

_The woman sighed and shook her head with a smile. " What am I going to do with you?" The raven then mused. " Now, let me see… Ah!" She snuggled even closer as the story started. " Let me tell you a tale about the great bringer of peace…"_ /

* * *

CHAPTER 3: The Beginning Of A Storm

* * *

Sasuke gasped while her eyes flew open, feeling dizzy and disordered. It took several moments before she realized what'd just happened.

_A dream_, she told herself. _Just a stupid dream._

" Sasuke." Gaara's voice sounded surprisingly worried, and the same could be red from his face. " Are you alright? I've been trying to wake you for a full minute."

She blinked once, then nodded sharply, her senses returning. " I am. Just… had a strange dream, that's all." She didn't feel like adding that she hadn't felt 'alright' for two days, since she'd saved Naruto. She didn't even want to start guessing the cause. She then refocused on her friend, and found a frown creeping on when discovering that the male was leaving. " Where the heck are you going?"

The redhead's eyes flashed when meeting hers. " I can't just let those bastards get Kimimaro and our baby, Sasuke. There's something I need to do."

She felt the need to snarl, to do _anything_ to keep the other from leaving, but knew that there was no way to turn such a stubborn head. She sighed heavily. " Don't do anything stupid, got that?"

Gaara nodded stiffly. " I won't. Just rest – it looks like you need it." With those words he left.

As soon as the redhead was gone she dared to give in to her urges and lean more heavily against a pillow. She sighed deeply, rubbing her face with one hand and feeling a headache kicking in.

She needed fresh air, desperately.

" Feeling sick again?" Suigetsu's voice managed to surprise her – she had no idea when he'd showed up. He was looking at her with a barely visible frown. " Maybe you should tell Orochimaru about that. You look like a mess."

She growled from the back of her throat, rolling her eyes. She then got up, coming to a decision that she'd have to move before she'd find herself unable to. " Could you cover me tonight? I'm going for a walk."

The male shrugged. " It's not like I'd have anything better to do."

Giving a small nod as her soul sign of thank you, she left the building through a window.

Usually the first minutes outside were enough to clear her head. That night, however, something was different.

She frowned, stopping nearby the edge of a rooftop, and listened to herself.

Yes, she'd felt like this once before, when…

Her eyes widened a fraction as realization dawned. Just then her head started to spin, and she swayed a step forth.

_Oh… shit…_

She tried to move, do something to stop what was inevitably happening, but she was powerless when her body decided to fail her.

Her eyes slipped closed, and right before all lights went out she felt herself falling, falling…

* * *

Naruto also had some rather bizarre dreams before his blue eyes flew open to meet the floor of the room Kiba and he shared. He blinked twice.

_What…?!_

" Geez!" That sounded awfully lot like Kiba's voice. " I was just washing up and heard a thud." By then he'd managed to struggle into a sitting position, and discovered that his friend seemed as amused as worried. " 'You okay?"

He nodded and scratched the back of his head, feeling utterly embarrassed. " Yeah, I guess."

Kiba looked at him for three seconds before speaking out. " Go and find her, will you?"

He blinked at his friend. Had the brunette lost his mind or something? " What?" he finally managed, with even more blinks.

Kiba groaned. " _Go_. Because I'll end up harming you if I have to look at that sick, rammy look for another day." The other grinned a bit. " I'll cover up for you, don't worry."

He felt like smiling. " You're a great friend sometimes, Doggy."

Kiba rolled his eyes. " I know that already. Just leave, before I change my mind. And be careful."

Flashing a grin – that of relief, he realized with wonder – he disappeared through the room's window and started to run.

He didn't have the slightest clue what led him, but eventually he braked in a tiny, extremely shady alleyway that brought him a lot of bad memories. It took him a moment to understand exactly what he was looking at, and when he did a gasp erupted. " Holy hell…!"

Lay on the street before him, so unmoving that it scared him for some reason, was none other than the vampire who'd saved him only days ago. It didn't take a genius to understand that she wasn't doing too well.

For the longest time he was sure his feet would lead him away, that he'd be able to turn his back on the desolate sight and let nature take care of its course – after all, regardless to one insensible action, this vampire was his enemy. But in the end he approached, patted her cheek rather clumsily with his hand. " H – Hey, wake up." There was no reaction. He tried again with more force. " Open your eyes, will you?" Still nothing, and very slowly he started to realize just how cold the female was. Too cold. A hiss escaped while he looked upwards subconsciously – figuring that was where the raven had come from – and realized that even for a vampire the fall could've been dangerous. " Fuck…" Fortunately this individual had a lot of luck – hopefully would have in future as well.

In a flash it became apparent that he'd went well past the point of running away and coming up with excuses.

All his reason screaming against it, he gathered the female gently into his arms, surprised by how natural and easy it felt. Had he not known better, he would've thought she snuggled closer.

There was only one place he could imagine taking this injured vampire into, and he wasn't about to waste another second.

He disappeared faster than a breath, the vampire held securely to his chest.

* * *

The night was unusually dark while Gaara knocked on an almost crumbled door, so harshly that he was surprised it didn't crumble. Sounds of irritation were his first response. " _Hold your horses, damn it!_" In seconds Temari opened, her slightly long grown blonde hair messy and the one eye she had left filling with incredulity. " Now look what the cat brought it…"

He growled. " Are you letting me in or not?"

She scoffed. " Now aren't we cheery today?" She, however, moved, her expression turning somewhat grumpy. " Why do I have a feeling that I'm not going to like this?"

While she closed the door his careful ears detected the sound of someone escaping through a window. He cast a dry look her way. " Another nighttime visitor?"

She folded her arms. " I'm a big girl now, Gaara. You're my brother, not my guardian, so back off." She then seated herself quite comfortably to a couch that whined as though it'd been taking its last breath. " So… What's up?"

" Kimimaro was taken", he spat out as though it'd been the deadliest poison, shuddering at how those words tasted when rolling by his tongue. " I need your… resources."

Temari's eyebrow bounced high up, and surprise she didn't bother hiding filled her eye. " Are you freaking serious? Gaara…!"

" Just get it. Please." The last words tasted almost as horrible as the sentence not long ago, felt wrong.

Seeing his carefully restraint despair, Temari apparently understood that she had no other choice. Sighing barely audibly she got up, then walked into a tiny, carefully hidden room even he wasn't allowed to enter. When she came back she had a bottle of brownish liquid with her, along with an alarming expression. " As your sister I'm giving you this one last warning. Once you take this, the repercussions are irreversible. There's no antidote for this. Are you really, fully sure she's worth going this far?"

He didn't even have to think. " Yes." He'd snatched the bottle from his sister before she could blink. " If that's where the situation goes, she's worth this and hell a lot more." With that he turned around and started to march away.

On his way out he could faintly hear Temari's words. " I really hope you know what you're doing, because I don't want to lose another brother. Be careful, you dumbass."

He wasn't sure if he was closer to wincing or grinning when closing the door soundlessly as his response.

* * *

Naruto had no idea how long he ran – with the terrifyingly cold raven held rather tightly against him – when his knees finally gave way and buckled, sending him to a filthy street mere steps from his destination.

He gasped and winced, then took a frantic look at the female in his arms. Had she grown paler during the past minutes, or was it just his imagination? He wished he would've known. What alarmed him the most were her lips, which seemed slightly bluish already. She'd also started to shiver at some point.

He didn't have a second to waste, for several reasons. During the desperate run he'd just taken he'd felt eyes on him with every step he took. He wondered if there'd be an attack to top this horrible day, to enthrone this potentially disastrous decision he still couldn't understand.

_She saved you, remember?_, he then reminded himself, and felt a uncomfortable stab of guilt. _This is the least you could do._

Just then a door was opened somewhere behind him, and steps started to approach. His body reacted in a matter of seconds.

His nerves were torn to shreds. He had no control over the metamorphose.

His teeth and nails flashed in moonlight while appearing.

-

Sakura frowned when stepping out of her hut-sized house, not seeing anything out of normal at first. Then, with her eyes getting accustomed to the darkness, she finally noticed.

A gasp fled her. " Oh my…!"

Right before her – growling loudly – was what she immediately recognized as a werewolf. A rather gorgeous one at that; despite the situation she found herself admiring the beast's almost black fur that had some traces of gold in the moonlight, as well as the eyes that shone silver and blue fire.

She didn't know what gave her such courage, but she found herself kneeling, figuring that it'd be best not to distress the wolf any further. " It's… alright. Calm down."

Very slowly the beast started to turn into a human, as though finally recognizing her, and she blinked thrice when understanding. " N – Naruto…?" Gosh, it'd been so long from when she'd last seen him – apparently long enough to make her forget the one time she'd seen him in that wolf form before.

Her thoughts became directed back to present by the troubled look in Naruto's blue eyes. " Please…" The voice was rather rough with the change still partially in progress. " Help her."

It wasn't until then she noticed what was behind the blonde's back, what he'd been trying to protect. It was an unconscious, alarmingly pale girl with black hair – a vampire, she realized immediately. She cussed under her breath when seeing the obvious signs despite the dim lightning.

_Silver…_

" Can you carry her?" she inquired without thinking too much.

Naruto nodded, appearing confused. " Yeah, of course."

She motioned him to follow. " Then bring her in, and hurry. It's best we don't waste time."

-

To Naruto it seemed to take forever before Sakura was finally done with examining the vampire. Once she withdrew from the raven he just couldn't hold himself back. " Well?"

" It looks like she was shot by a silver bullet – it scratched her arm, and a tiny piece smashed to pieces inside her, spreading to her bloodstream." The pinkette sighed a little. " But the good news is, that we can help her."

Something that felt like hope swelled inside him. " So…" He swallowed with difficulty, not knowing what to think and feel. Something squirmed uncomfortably in his stomach. " Is she… going to be okay? You can fix the damage, right?"

Sakura smiled faintly. " Sure. The situation isn't as bad as it looks, but she'll be pretty weak for a while." She then got up and started to leave, as though giving them some privacy. " I'm going to get some equipment, and give a word to my mentor. Call out for me if anything happens, alright?"

He nodded, this all still going way over his head. " 'K."

As soon as the pinkette had left, all his attention was on the vampire who's name he still didn't know. He couldn't keep his eyes from wandering.

At that moment, when lay there so helplessly, she didn't look anything like he'd always expected a vampire to look like. She was very still and pale, almost enough so to make her look fragile. She seemed… so human without those fangs and red eyes. It made him want to touch her, just a little bit to try it.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair, and kept his eyes on the vampire.

If he wanted to get any answers, it looked like he'd have to wait.

And there was _nothing_ he hated more than waiting.

* * *

Rather early in the next morning – with sun barely having started its way up – Neji was somewhat surprised to find that instead of his daughter, his steps led him to a special made laboratory where the captured female vampire was being held. The door opened easily enough for him – after all, he was in a high position and had an access to pretty much everywhere. What was much harder, however, was entering.

Because no matter how many times he'd done this, he found himself becoming taken aback at the sight of the defeated, halfway hunched vampire, who seemed to be fighting for consciousness and losing. Despite himself he felt somewhat repulsed when seeing the wounds and clearly visible needle marks on the vampire. Apparently Danzo had decided to be particularly merciless now that he had a real, living vampire in his hands, and a gravid one at that.

Just then the vampire seemed to sense him, for her head rose and green eyes collided with his, filled with fire and question.

_What the hell do you want now?_, the gaze asked, spat out.

Neji mused that he shouldn't have been affected, but he couldn't chase away the boiling in his veins.

" Morning", he greeted in a stiff, formal tone that was devoid of all emotion.

The vampire didn't speak or look at him, instead green eyes narrowed.

It wasn't until then he realized that someone had forgotten to move curtains to cover the room's rather huge window – intentionally or not, can only be guessed. It was a matter of minutes before the light would be too much for the vampire. Unable to stop himself he walked up to the window and made sure no sunlight made its way inside. He felt a small shudder inside – that of disgust or perhaps confusion.

They needed her, he explained to himself – that's why he was doing this. He couldn't let her die too soon.

" Thank you." He was almost startled by that stunningly soft voice – it was the first time the vampire spoke.

His eyes narrowed, and he refused to turn them towards the being although it was harder than he'd expected. " Hn." He was about to walk right out, but for some reason his feet stopped him several steps from the doorway, made him turn towards the vampire once more. It was around then he discovered she was shivering. " Are you cold?"

The white haired took her time before responding. " A little", she confessed in the end, not looking towards him. It was natural that she was as troubled by this confession as he.

He nodded slowly, then – his feet taking the lead once more – walked up to a small storage room nearby where he knew blankets to be.

The vampire's eyes were filled with surprise when he covered her with a worn blanket – harshly, but still.

This is only to make sure she stays healthy enough, he told himself, and made sure his eyes sent the same message.

It was harder than he'd expected to turn around without looking back, but he did so anyhow – because that was what he needed to do, he reasoned.

He could feel a pair of confused eyes on him as he went.

* * *

Naruto couldn't go to see the vampire the next day due to his duties, and for some reason that bothered him far more than it should've. Even Kiba commented that he was acting even more brashly than usually.

That night he finally made it to Sakura's safe house – only to discover that the raven was already sitting up, her eyes open and sharp.

He blinked several times before managing an embarrassingly unintelligent comment. " You're… awake."

The vampire's eyes flashed towards him for a second. The eyes then turned away once more while she moved a little and glanced around, most likely trying to discover what'd happened and where she was. " How very sharp of you."

He folded his arms and emitted a huff. " Hey! Watch how you talk to a guy who just saved your life and dragged you here to Sakura-chan."

Now that seemed to surprise the raven. She looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. " Why would you do that? We're enemies."

He shrugged. " You saved my ass back then, remember? And got hurt because of it. I felt like I should pay back."

Her eyes softened – barely traceably, but his sharp gaze spotted it anyhow. She took a roll of bandage forgotten to the nearby table, starting to change the one around her arm that was badly stained. " Dobe." Apparently that was the best 'thank you' she could muster.

He flashed his teeth. " Ass."

Surprisingly comfortable, thoughtful silence lingered while they both fought to come to grips with the absurd situation.

In the end he just had to speak. " Why did you help me?" It was something that'd been burning his tongue ever since those strange events. He went on although the vampire didn't even look at him. " You… You could've just let me die – I bet it would've been better for you. So why?"

She was silent for quite a while, as though musing, focusing on re-bandaging her arm. " Do you want an honest answer?" She went on after a beat, her work fully done. " I have absolutely no idea." With that she got up although her legs seemed slightly weakened, and started to head towards the room's only, no longer covered window. She opened it rather skillfully. " That… Sakura… Tell her thanks, will you?"

" You still haven't told me your name", he reminded all of a sudden, his eyes firmly on the vampire. " After all this, don't you think it's time for a proper introduction?"

She emitted a sound of exasperation, then spoke through her teeth. " Sasuke." She mused for a second. " Sasuke Uchiha." He wondered why the family name sounded so familiar. And with that the vampire was gone.

He blinked while staring at the open window, wondering why he shivered the way he did just then, what caused his heart to beat so fast.

He didn't get out of his stupor until Sakura's voice made him jump. " Naruto?" There was a frown upon the pinkette's face that disappeared after a moment. " So she left. Good thing I left those bandages for her."

He frowned, feeling worried although he couldn't explain why. " Is she going to be okay?"

Sakura gave him a look he couldn't recognize, starting to clean up after Sasuke. " Yeah, it looks like the silver is completely out of her system." The girl then remembered something. " So, did you find out her name?"

He couldn't keep himself from grinning. " I did, actually. She's Sasuke Uchiha."

The way Sakura's face blanched gave him a loud warning. " Did you… say Uchiha?"

" Yeah. Why?"

Sakura composed herself for a long moment. When she finally smiled a bit, it didn't come out effortlessly. " I just… haven't heard that name in a long time, that's all."

His tongue burned with questions, but fate worked against him. For just then a younger girl with orange hair barged into the room, eyes wide.

Sakura frowned. " What's wrong, Moegi?"

" The… The other patient… is waking up."

Sakura was moving in an instant. She cast a hurried look towards him while going. " We'll go on from here later. You should leave, before you get into a trouble." And so she was gone.

He stood there for the longest time, realizing that he'd been left with tons more questions than he'd had when arriving.

* * *

Everything was so very fuzzy. He couldn't even open his eyes.

" Hey, can you hear me?"

A frown appeared.

So loud… Too loud…

" You're safe now, okay? Just open your eyes."

Safe…?

No, no… Couldn't be…

He struggled, fought so very hard, but couldn't get more than a breath out. " … uke…"

" Relax – we'll take a good care of you. Just stay awake for me, okay?"

He tried, that much could be said to his defense. But in the end his eyelids were too heavy, and darkness won.

-

Sakura sighed heavily while the mysterious boy fell unconscious once more.

So there'd still be no answers.

Swallowing down disappointment she couldn't really explain, she rechecked his bandages, then tucked him in and left him to rest.

As soon as she got out of the room there was a knock on the house's front door. She walked up to open with a scowl, expecting trouble.

Her frown and relaxing shoulders sent mixed signals when she found Sai. " What's going on?"

The boy's expression didn't change, but something that chilled her flashed by his eyes. " Sakura, Danzo's on to something."

Her eyes narrowed, although a logical part inside her tried to message that she had no reason to doubt the boy's loyalty. " If you have soldiers along, you're not taking a step forth, understood? This building is neutral ground."

Something that might've been called disappointment could be seen in Sai's eyes, although only just a moment. " I'd never betray you – you know that."  
She nodded, then moved and let him in.

Five minutes later they were sitting in a kitchen, with mugs of tea that smelled absolutely horrible. Although they'd done this what felt like million times they sat in silence for several minutes, as though not knowing how to be around each other anymore.

" Danzo asked me a lot of questions today", Sai began eventually, not meeting her gaze. " Among other things he wanted to know why my fiancée visits the wasteland so often – he's been following my movements with a tracker." He took a sip, breathed deeply into the drink. " He wanted me to tell you not to interfere."

She squeezed her own mug so tightly that it burned her fingers. " I don't think that's his decision to make", she hissed.

This aroused the frailest and tiniest of smiles from Sai, although it disappeared in a flash. " I told him you'd react to the message that way." (1)

There was another silence, until she finally managed to gather her voice. " So… Do you agree with him?" Her voice was a little tight, but otherwise relatively normal.

Sai sighed rather heavily, leaning back in his chair. " Does it matter?"

Not knowing how else to react, she got up and started to gather the dishes she'd just set the table with. " Doesn't your midnight briefing start soon?"

" Sakura." Sai's dark eyes seemed so different from usual that it confused her. " I know you don't approve what I do, but you need to trust me in this one. You need to let me do my duty."

A somewhat sardonic, tiny smile rose to her face. She sighed heavily with understanding. " Duty always first, right?" That's how it'd been with them from the beginning, and that's how it always seemed to be.

Sai seemed to give a deep sigh as well. " We just need to hang on a little bit longer. This war isn't going to last forever."

_It's been going on for the past forty years!_, she wanted to scream. _What the hell makes you think it'd just stop anytime soon?!_ Instead, however, she offered a tiny, obedient nod, feeling sick to her stomach for both of them. " I know." She brushed his hand swiftly while taking his tea mug, shivering at how cold his skin was. " You'll drop by again later, right?"

The boy nodded, getting up. " Of course." He paused and stopped for a moment – as though contemplating – but then kept going anyhow, not glancing over his shoulder. " I'll see you later."

She nodded once more at his distancing back.

A couple of seconds after he'd disappeared she glanced towards the window nearby. Her green eyes darkened a little bit while she watched Sai disappear with a fellow soldier she knew as Shikamaru.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, swallowing against rising nausea.

Gosh, how she hated this…

She opened her eyes again, waking up into alertness, when there was a loud moan from the room in which the mysterious boy rested. In a moment she managed to move.

At least she had duties to take care of. Maybe that'd be enough to keep her sane for now.

* * *

Naruto's legs trembled a little for some reason when he sneaked in through the window of Kiba and his room.

The brunette gave him a questioning look. " Well?"

He wasn't sure which expression appeared to his face. " She… was fine. And I finally got her name." He made a grumpy sound, rubbing his face. " But right now she's giving me a huge headache." He then forced his mind to other matters. " No one noticed I was away, right?"

" Nope." The boy shuddered. " You owe me a serious favor for making me suck up on Koharuy, though."

He winced. " 'Sorry."

Kiba seemed thoughtful while watching him perform his usual daily activities, and waited for a moment before speaking out. " Naruto… Are you sure you want to do this?"

He laughed dryly, his head spinning a little. " No." He flopped to his bed and sighed heavily, staring at the ceiling. " I'm… not sure about anything anymore."

Or well, if he dared to be honest with himself, there _was _one thing.

He needed to see Sasuke again, once more, to find out exactly what she was about. Because otherwise there'd be nothing left of his sanity.

* * *

When entering the vampires' base that day, Sasuke was relieved to find that although she still felt dizzy and weak, she was able to appear at least relatively normal. Once again she found almost all vampires gathered for a meeting.

Gaara frowned when seeing her, although she also spotted some relief in the boy's eyes. " Where the hell were you?" the boy all but hissed. " Orochimaru's on a war path." She understood his fret. It wasn't rare that she disappeared, but for this long period of time…

She groaned a little. " I… ran into some unexpected problems", was all she gave at the moment.

Gaara's mouth opened, but just then Orochimaru appeared. The man's eyes immediately found her. " Sasuke." The purring voice was that of a snake which lay in wait, eyes on its prey. " Is there something we should know about your absence?"

Her eyes flashed. " No." Her tone was such that it became clear she wouldn't give anything else.

Orochimaru nodded, the man's expression telling her that there'd be more questions later. " Very well, then." Apparently losing interest in her for a moment, the man looked away, towards the crowd. " Now… I'm sure you'd all like to know why we're here. The reason is simple – our goal is far closer than ever before." That immediately aroused murmurs. " The preparations are almost complete. With some minor sacrifices from our own, we'll be able to defeat – wipe out – both of our enemies." The man's eyes gleamed. " In a matter of weeks those weaklings will be nothing more than a distant memory. We'll demolish our enemies with the same merciless brutality they've shown us for decades. Our time has finally arrived."

While most of the others roared with excitement she and Gaara exchanged solemn looks, knowing with far too much certainty.

There was a hell incoming.

* * *

About an hour later Neji didn't know what to feel while standing beside Danzo outside the humans' base building, waiting while icy wind slashed his skin. Just one look towards the older man revealed that he was far from pleased.

" He's late – again", the man grumbled.

He looked away once more, finding it safest to not say a word.

Just then his eyes spotted movement in what seemed like never ending darkness. Only a breath later a boy at his age with brown hair and dark eyes stepped into view, seeming irritated. It took quite a bit of him to keep emotions in the background.

_A vampire…!_

Danzo spoke as soon as the vampire was within earshot. " Zaku, you better have something very valuable after making me wait this long."

The brunette nodded, then fished out a fat envelope, handing it over to the man as though a piece of trash. " There. An ally's suggestion: start preparing yourself _fast_, because they're ready and they mean business." The vampire folded his arms. " So, where's my reward?"

Neji barely realized what was happening before Danzo had already taken a weapon – that filled with fresh made silver bullets – and fired. He shivered a little while watching the vampire fall down dead, and tried to convince himself the reaction was caused by cold.

Danzo wrinkled his nose, turned around and left. " Take care of the filth. I have work to do, especially with that new type of silver almost fully developed."

He stood frozen for several seconds, then shook his head and growled a little, furious with himself, and started to move towards the corpse.

He'd have to get a better hold of his emotions soon. Because there seemed to be a storm of some sort coming, and the most unsteady leaves were destined to fall away first.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) Yes, this means exactly what you think. Sakura is the said fiancée. Apparently engagement isn't what it used to be in this futuristic world…

* * *

A/N: And the heat is on between our lovely duo. (grins) Unfortunately, however, it looks like things are about to get messy… (shudders)

Heh, I've got another piece of a project to wrap together and it's getting late, so I've gotta go. PLEASE do leave review before you follow! Awww, I know you want to… (gives irresistible eyes)

'Til next time! 'Hope I'll c ya all then. (grins)

Be good!

* * *

**manami-himechan**: Awesome, and original? YAY! (jumps up and down)

Mega sized thank yous for the review! 'Hope I'll be seeing you around.

* * *

**The species and genders of characters (male/female):**

Werewolves: Naruto (m), Kiba (m), Koharu Utatane (f)

Vampires: Sasuke (f), Gaara (m), Kimimaro (f), Orochimaru (m), Kabuto (m), Suigetsu (m), (Zaku (m))

Humans: Neji (m), Sakura (f), Sai (m), Shikamaru (m), Shino (m), Danzo (m)

Unconfirmed: "the stranger" (m), Temari (f), Hidan (m), Kakuzu (m)


	4. Beat Towards Dark

A/N: Yoshhhhhh! (pumps fist into air) I actually managed a what I'd consider very much timely update. I'm so happy! (grins brightly) (Heh, and of course I hope you are, too.)

First off, COLOSSAL thank yous for the absolutely baffling reviews! (HUUUUUGS) You know, it's all thanks to your support I keep updating this fast. You seriously keep this fic going, so THANK YOU for that! (offers some treats of your choice, too)

Awkay, before this goes all mushy, let's move! I really hope you'll enjoy the blo… eh, ride.

**The list of species and genders of characters** is still on, btw, and updated, so now worries. It can be found from underneath the chappy.

* * *

/ _When Kushina Uzumaki entered a tiny chapel on the far edge of the city, one trembling hand placed to her mightily swollen bump, she was surprised to discover that she wasn't alone. Kneeled by the altar, her head bowed, was a woman with long, black hair and the eyes of that same color. She spotted a flash of fangs. " I'm sorry – I didn't mean to…" She trailed off._

" _You're not disturbing me." The other looked away, appearing embarrassed. " This… is the only place of this type where my kind are allowed. I don't come here often, though."_

_She found herself smiling, although her instincts tried to tell her she should've been afraid. " It's alright. I don't come here often, either." She then recognized a familiar glow on the other's cheeks. " Sometimes… there's just a good reason to come."_

_The other blushed and covered her bump just like she had done not too long ago._

_As they lapsed into a silence, they were blissfully unaware of the fact that soon both of them would be gone._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 4: Beat Towards Dark

* * *

Four days passed agonizingly slowly, and Naruto found himself growing desperate and something he couldn't even name when finding no signs of Sasuke.

It was almost like she'd disappeared from the face of the world.

" Naruto, you've been circling the room sixty-four times now." Kiba's groan forced him out of all disturbing thoughts. " If you don't stop right now, I swear I'll use my claws on you."

A somewhat sheepish look rose to his face. " 'Sorry. I just…" Actually, he didn't know _what_. He couldn't explain the workings of his brain (or, perhaps, his heart) even to himself anymore.

Kiba, however, seemed to catch something he hadn't figured out just yet. The brunette leaned back in the chair he'd taken. " I sense that this has something to with that vampire chick."

He scoffed, folding his arms to defend himself against something he couldn't name. " 'Doubt it." Even so, he felt a suspiciously great need to explain. " It's just… I owe her and it bugs me, okay? She saved my life."

Kiba shrugged. " And you hers. You're even, right?"

He shot a dirty look towards his best friend. " You're not helping at all right now, Mint breath."

He felt something hit him at that, and looked down with a mew to discover a brush. He gave Kiba a look of accusation. " Hey!"

The brunette gestured animatedly with his hands. " If I listen and watch you moping around another day I'll go crazy, okay? We need a break."

He frowned, somehow not liking what he was hearing. " A break…?" That couldn't possibly mean anything the pack elders would've approved.

A toothy grin flashed in the semi dark room. " Yup. I may not be able to help you regain your senses, but I know a place that is. So let's go."

He knew well going out was probably the stupidest thing to do, but at the moment he didn't really have a choice – Kiba wasn't the only one losing his head.

" Lead the way, Kitty-witty."

* * *

In the meantime Sasuke ducked and hit back with a breathtaking speed when Gaara struck her, time after time. She didn't feel faced although they'd been training for hours already. Everything would've looked good, if only she'd had her mind in the right place.

/ _" Why did you help me? You… You could've just let me die – I bet it would've been better for you. So why?"_ /

She snarled when Gaara's fist whistled past her face, managing to hit her cheek on its way.

_Crap…_

The redhead frowned. " Are you alright?"

She nodded sharply, seething inside. " Yes." She'd endured a lot worse – it was her pride that'd been damaged.

That blond was going to be the death of her.

" Gaara." The sound of Kabuto's voice made the hair in the back of her neck rose, as did the look on the gray haired's face. " Orochimaru-sama sent me to get you. He has a scouting mission in store for you. It's of high importance."

Sasuke felt a shudder, knowing exactly what that meant.

_Scouting already, huh?_

It was a matter of two days or even less before the main attack would take place.

" I'm coming along as well", she announced without thinking. She knew exactly what these missions were like – she wanted to make sure Orochimaru wasn't sending her best friend straight into the wolf's mouth.

" No." Kabuto's sharpness surprised her, although she didn't let it show. " Officially you're still recovering – you won't be sent to missions like this just yet. You know that." The male then focused on Gaara again. " You have three minutes." They were left alone.

Her eyes were sharp when looking into the redhead's. " I'm expecting you to show up for the midnight report." It was the best 'Be careful' she managed.

Gaara nodded, apparently understanding. " I will." With that – no further empty words passed – the male turned around and walked away, not looking over his shoulder even once.

They'd done this a million times over, they both mused – there was no use in getting sentimental.

" So the time's getting closer, huh?"

From the corner of her eye she'd seen Suigetsu appear about five seconds earlier, so she wasn't taken by surprise. " Yeah." It was more of a breath than anything else.

Suigetsu looked at her for a moment before speaking and moving. " Okay, that's it." The boy's tone left no room for objections. " When you look like that, there's only one thing that gets your mind to happier things. So let's go."

She knew exactly what he meant, and in all honesty it was the about last place she wanted to visit that night. But this tiny part of her was all but burning, anxiously demanding her to move.

She followed Suigetsu.

* * *

It was a long time from when Sakura had last felt anything even close to the sizzle that crossed through her being while she watched the raven haired stranger eating a small, light meal she'd brought – not daring to give him anything heavier in fear of what it'd do to his stomach.

So far he hadn't asked for more light during daytime, although even through the curtain she'd pulled to cover the window it was clear how tempting the sunlight was – he hadn't spoken much at all, actually, answered almost none of the questions she'd made. So far she hadn't brought in a mirror to find out what he was. He hadn't tried to harm her, and he was recovering – so far that was enough information, although a part of her would've wanted a lot more.

" You're staring."

The rather hoarse, little used voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she felt some heat appearing. " I'm… sorry. I was just wondering."

The boy seemed to click, and put away the plate he'd been holding although he was only halfway finished. " I wish I could tell you more, Sakura. But…" He trailed off.

She nodded while swallowing down the bitter taste left by disappointment. Whether it was because he simply couldn't remember or found it safest to keep everything to himself, he hadn't been able to tell her anything since he'd woken up.

She'd wait, she decided. He'd talk when he'd be ready for it – she just needed to be patient. Unfortunately she'd never been too good at that.

She shook her head a little and turned her gaze when there was a hesitant knock and the door opened. Moegi peered in, seeming slightly nervous. " It's… Sai. He came for a visit."

She nodded, sensing a movement inside. " I'll be there in a second." She then glanced at the stranger once more. " Try to get some rest, alright?" She looked at all the uneaten food he had left and winced inwardly, knowing how little there'd been to begin with. " And if you can, eat some more – you need strength to recover."

The boy nodded somewhat dully, his thoughtful eyes not meeting hers.

She fought back a sigh of frustration while getting up slowly and leaving the room. Maybe he'd be slightly more talkative after rest.

-

Sakura, of course, didn't know that a pair of dark eyes followed her as she went, sharp and filled with thoughtfulness.

He couldn't trust her with information just yet although a part of him would've wanted to. But she might turn out to be very helpful with fulfilling his quest…

-

As soon as Sakura entered a hall and found Sai, her eyes locked to a fresh wound on his cheek that'd definitely leave a scar.

She walked up to him and frowned, brushing the wound gently. " You're hurt."

He stiffened slightly under her touch, and she knew much too well what that meant before he even spoke. " There were… complications, nearby the western borderline."

Her eyes flashed and darkened, and she fixed them to his uniform, unable to look at his face.

So he'd killed – again – who knows how many and of which species this time. The blood shedding and madness continued.

She brushed the metallic symbol that was attached firmly to Sai's uniform, wanting to rip it off from the bottom of her heart. " I… hate this", she confessed quietly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut so she wouldn't have to see the army's logo or the clothing. " I hate this so much."

" I know." A surprisingly gentle hand moved in her hair. " But this isn't going to last forever. This nightmare will end eventually."

She grit her teeth even more tightly than before. Damn it, how sick of those words she was already! " Hmm", was all she managed. Just then an urge she hadn't felt in a long time filled her like a tideway, and she tightened her arms around him. " Stay tonight. Please."

For several moments Sai was perfectly still – most likely stunned – then nodded so that she could just feel it. " Alright."

She felt a warm wave. " Good. I'll… see if I have some food for us." Pressing her forehead against his chest, she wrinkled her nose at the stench of blood and death that attacked her. " You, take a shower and take off that uniform, or I'm letting you nowhere near me."

Giving something that'd most likely been supposed to be a chuckle, the man disappeared towards the bathroom. She, on the other hand, turned her gaze towards the room where the now awake, mysterious raven was.

She frowned, feeling a sensation of unease for a moment, when becoming almost certain that someone was observing her.

After a moment she shook her head, starting to make her way towards the kitchen.

There was no point in making things even more complicated than they already were.

* * *

In the western end of the city, Gaara left the ruins with two other vampires. Their eyes were solemn and filled with flickering hatred while they looked at the desolate sight before them.

Four of them butchered, their remains now scattered absolutely everywhere like some sort of filth.

" They'll pay for this", Juugo snarled, crackling his knuckles.

" Yes", he murmured, letting the sight take its full effect. _And Orochimaru will as well, for sending us to another suicide mission._ " But right now, there's something I need to do."

Karin, another survivor, frowned when looking at him. " Please don't tell me you're planning something idiotic."

Not bothering to reply he made sure he had at least some weapons along, then prepared for leaving. " If I haven't showed up for the midnight briefing, stop waiting." With those words he left, paying no mind to the gazes he could feel on him.

Finally, he had a chance to complete a mission of his own that'd been waiting for too long already…

* * *

Naruto blinked once discovering where Kiba had led him. It was a rather shady building in a part of the city he'd never visited before. At first he thought it to be abandoned, but then he heard something his ears hadn't met in years. Soft pounding, almost like the heartbeat of the building.

He blinked with stun.

_Music…?_

" 'You gonna keep gawking or come?" Kiba's amusement filled voice woke him from his stunned thoughts.

He rolled his eyes a little bit. " Yeah, yeah, hold your horses."

They didn't speak a word – most likely out of excitement – while walking up to the front door. He watched with some curiosity while Kiba knocked sharply four times, and a tiny lid was opened, revealing a pair of dark eyes. The brunette exchanged some words with the person behind the door he couldn't catch no matter how hard he tried, and soon enough the lid was closed. No more than seconds later the huge door opened, granting him a view that made him gasp.

It was an enormous hall, filled with beings of all three species and flashing lights in all colors – and most of all, music, such that made every single cell in his body jump to the beat. In a matter of moments a radiant grin rose to his lips while his eyes shone. " This… is incredible!"

Kiba grinned as well. " 'Thought you'd like it here – you always complain about Koharu not letting us play any music."

He opened his mouth to say thank you, but before any words passed his lips everything inside him froze when he spotted a very familiar face on the opposite side of the hall. His eyes widened, became dyed pink when light hit them.

_Can't be…!_

He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the image remained. Sasuke was finally there, right before his eyes, only steps away.

Kiba obviously noticed her as well. The brunette's hand landed to his shoulder. " I'm not sure if I should let you do this, but I don't think even wild horses could stop you. So go." The other then noticed something on a balcony that'd been built above the hall, and dark eyes filled with mischief. " I think I'll be able to keep myself entertained for a little while."

He felt reluctant to leave his friend alone in this place, but figured that Kiba seemed to know it so well that the brunette would make it just fine. " 'K. I'll take an hour, tops."

The brunette rolled his eyes with a dry expression. " We'll see about that…"

After swatting his friend's head to pay back that remark he was already moving towards Sasuke, as though a force of some sort had been pulling him. The music was captivating, hypnotic, and before he properly realized what he was doing he was already stood before her. The male friend she had along – and whom he only just noticed – whispered something to her ear before leaving subtly.

Had he been a little less distracted by her, he might've noticed that the whole place all but froze, and air electrified while everyone waited what would happen next, how the strictly forbidden encounter would end.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose. " You're stalking me, aren't you?"

He fought the urge to scoff. " I could accuse you of doing the same, you know?"

The vampire made a sound of irritation. " Whatever." She then looked at him. " So… What do you want?"

He shrugged. _I have no idea._ " A dance, for starters."

The raven seemed almost interested. " You sure are a bold little thing."

He tried to glare, but once he noticed Sasuke's expression he had a feeling it didn't come out right.

In a matter of moments Sasuke finally gave her consent, in a form of letting him wrap his arms around her and returning the gesture.

A shiver crossed his being, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly while his hold on her tightened. " Bite me, and I'll scratch your eyes out."

" This wasn't my idea, remember? Besides…" As she spoke, he wondered if the club's temperature had picked up or if it just felt that way. " You shouldn't harass a vampire if you're that afraid of teeth."

He snorted. " Smartass."

In beforehand he'd wondered with some nervousness if he'd know what to do with her once he'd be close enough. As the dance started, he realized that he shouldn't have worried.

The beat took a hold of him as he moved, easily finding sync with Sasuke. Neither noticed how close by they were while dancing, they remained completely oblivious to the looks and murmurs of disapproval everyone around darted their way.

The tension that'd been lingering underneath Naruto's skin and everywhere in his muscles disappeared, and he found himself swaying a fraction closer to the raven, who didn't seem to even notice.

Songs changed far more rapidly than he would've liked, and in the end he'd disappeared into the motions and Sasuke's presence so wholly that he barely noticed it when the vampire's every muscle stiffened, giving a clear sign of something being badly wrong.

When his instincts finally worked, his heartbeat picked up. He didn't dare to meet the raven's eyes. " What's up?"

" We have to leave", the vampire replied in a growl. " Fast."

All he could do was nod.

His thoughts whirring and heart thumping, he followed with irrational trust while Sasuke led him towards what turned out to be a backdoor, then through it to an alleyway that made him cough with its stench.

He prepared to take a breath of relief – only to have an unfamiliar male's voice proving it premature. " Going somewhere, Sasuke?"

Looking up with embarrassingly wide eyes, he found a dark skinned male with sunglasses covering his eyes. Shirtless outfit with loose pants and a jacket brought out the stranger's muscles and threatening height. The male's appearance, however, wasn't what stole his attention.

An arrow – that made of silver, he could tell – was pointed towards Sasuke and him.

* * *

In the humans' base, Neji found himself visiting the female vampire once more. The white haired cast a look of curiosity and mistrust towards him, although he'd visited her several times during the past days. " You again?"

He nodded, not letting any possible emotions show. " I came to give you an injection – Danzo's orders." He showed her a needle, and could easily spot a shiver of revulsion. " Don't worry – it's for the sake of your health. A vampire needs certain things in a gravid state, no?"

For another moment distrust was evident, but eventually the female moved her arm as much as she possibly could with the restraints, allowing him a visual of her veins. Her eyes remained firmly on him while he walked closer, cleaned up the injection area and started the work. She shivered when the needle pierced her milky skin, but didn't fight.

He pulled away as fast as possible, not liking what the touch of her skin did to him, and placed a bandage to the needle mark quite roughly. " Done."

The vampire remained silent – waited – until he was at what she apparently considered safe distance. " Thank you."

He didn't react, instead focused on putting away the equipment and not meeting her eyes.

He felt a small jolt when the room's door opened, from loud steps knowing who it was before hearing the voice. " There's been some fighting nearby the western end of the city", Danzo announced roughly. The man was careful to keep his voice such the vampire couldn't hear. " I sent several men there, and they met vampires. It's apparent that idiot – Zaku – was right; there's a storm incoming."

He managed to give the man a rather impassive look. " What do you want me to do?"

" Prepare your men for the upcoming battle." Danzo's eyes then flashed dangerously towards the vampire. " And do whatever necessary."

He nodded stiffly, feeling extremely cold as those words seeped through. " Yes, Sir."

As he looked at the vampire after Danzo's departure, he came to a sudden realization.

Out of Danzo's demand, prisoners were always executed first when battles occurred, so that their own wouldn't find them and get valuable information. If he'd leave her behind, under the mercy of the battle… She'd die.

His eyes narrowed while he marched to her with sharp, heated steps, then opened the restraints entrapping her.

She looked at him with bafflement she was visibly trying to hide. " What…?"

He pulled her up sharply, feeling a stab of guilt he couldn't understand when she swayed, not having walked for a while. " We need to go", he announced in a harsh tone. " You want to protect your… offspring, don't you?"

Green eyes flashed hazardously, and the vampire instinctively placed a hand to protect her slightly visible bump from him. That was all the answer he needed.

Their steps made barely any sound while he led her trough the laboratory to a carefully hidden second exit, several emotions boiling inside him.

He was protecting a valuable source of information, something that might be able to help with saving his daughter's life – that was all there was to this, he reminded himself while opening the door. There was no reason to pull something as ridiculous as emotions along.

He glanced towards the white haired when a long, dark hallway opened up before them. " Ready to go?" he inquired.

She merely nodded rather eagerly.

-

Just before following Kimimaro found herself pausing, irrational and dangerous as she knew it to be. She had a frown upon her face while she looked around the laboratory, having the strangest feeling that she should've stayed to wait for someone.

She shivered a little when feeling movements in her stomach, and brought a hand to shield the new life growing inside her.

Those thoughts vanished when a firm, almost painfully tight hand grabbed hers. She almost revealed her fangs before hearing Neji's voice. " We have to go, _now_. Trust me."

Of course she didn't trust him. How was she supposed to? But she knew he was her only hope of making it out of this place alive. She had no other choice.

They didn't make a sound while disappearing. The door closed rather loudly behind them.

-

In the meantime Gaara entered the laboratory, and felt a flare inside that nearly suffocated him.

Kimimaro… She'd been here, only some short moments earlier – he knew that with utmost certainty. She'd slipped through his fingers, she was gone again.

That thought striking him, he closed his eyes and roared, as loudly as he possibly could, setting free absolutely all the rage and helplessness inside him, releasing everything that'd been weighing his chest for days already.

He barely heard the steps of five human soldiers as they entered and circled him. " We don't have to do this the messy way." Apparently one of them was an idiot enough to try and reason with him. Spinning around, he met panic filled eyes, along with a quivering weapon. " Don't make us shoot you. Be reasonable."

_Reasonable_ was the last thing he wanted to be.

Giving another roar he charged.

* * *

In the meantime Naruto ducked with a yelp, never even noticing that he took a protective stance before Sasuke, expecting pain. That, however, never came.

He blinked with disbelief. " Huh?"

Lifting his gaze slowly, he saw what was at first nothing more than a shadow on a nearby roof. " You're still good at getting into a trouble, Sasuke", a dry male voice spoke.

Judging by Sasuke's frown, she didn't recognize the man's voice, either. " Who the hell are you?"

" That's hardly a way to talk to someone who just saved your life."

Shifting his gaze once more, he gasped faintly when seeing that a blade had pierced the attacker's throat. Blood had spilled to a nearby wall, forming what looked like a sickening painting of some sort.

He forced his gaze elsewhere again when hearing what sounded like a whisper, and discovered that the man had now jumped down from the roof. He could see hair that glowed like silver in the moonlight, along with one dark eye and face that was exactly halfway hidden by a mask. He also saw a sharp fang, and gulped.

_Uh-huh…_

The arrival's gaze was utterly solemn. " You're playing a dangerous game, but I can help you."

Sasuke frowned and folded her arms, most likely subconsciously moving so that she was shielding him partially. " Why would you care enough? I'm breaking laws."

The stranger responded with pulling out a tiny card of some sort and handing it to the raven. " Because not all of us care about laws. Your name still has a lot of power." With that the male disappeared into a puff of some.

He immediately looked at the card, curious as always. " What's on it?"

Sasuke didn't respond, instead seemed to start trembling, her eyes turning red. In a moment he decided to take a peak on his own. What he saw was a small, black raven – almost like a symbol of some sort.

He blinked, then frowned and looked towards the vampire, utterly confused. " What the heck is that?"

The way Sasuke's eyes narrowed told him a lot. Her hand squeezed around the card almost tightly enough to destroy it. " Just a old, very bad memory", she all but hissed, then obviously forced her attention to him. " You, go home. This is something I need to think about and take care of alone." It was also clear to him she also didn't want them to be seen together.

His eyebrows furrowed, and coldness he couldn't explain filled him. " Are you just gonna leave again?"

She made a 'Hn', obviously slightly calmer already. " Somehow, I have a feeling that we're bound to run into each other sooner or later." With those words as her judgment she disappeared like some trick of his imagination.

A weird sound erupted from the back of his throat. " I can't do anything but to trust that, can I?"

* * *

Koharu Utatane's eyes were sharp and narrowed while she made her way through a pitch black, decades ago abandoned parking lot, her gaze sweeping across surroundings to spot every single sign of a threat.

She, apparently, wasn't observant enough, because the unfamiliar female voice caught her off guard. " You're late."

Her gaze whipped to side, spotted a woman with shortcut, bluish hair and pale eyes that shone abnormally in the moonlight leaning against a nearby wall. Her insides shuddered with disgust. " I received your message", she stated stiffly. " Though I don't understand what a vampire could possibly have that I'd want."

Those pale eyes seemed almost hypnotic when meeting hers. " Cooperation. With our help, you'd be able to wipe out humans – once and for all. And you'd also get rid of Orochimaru's clan."  
She frowned, feeling electric shivers. True enough, that offer was far above tempting – the opportunity to get rid of two powerful enemies was extremely hard to resist. But would she be able to trust this deal – this… vampire from some separate, traitorous clan she'd never even heard of?

This woman had betrayed even her own. What would she and her gang do to her – to her pack?

She snapped out of her thoughts when the vampire spoke once more. " I'm leaving you to debate, though I wish you're reasonable – for the sake of your pack." The other turned around, starting to walk away. " When you've come to a decision, you know how to find me."

Despite darkness, she saw a blood red cloud tattooed to the vampire's shoulder as she went.

Her eyes narrowed even further.

Things, apparently, were becoming even more complicated than before.

-

Konan's eyes barely moved while she stepped into a nearby alleyway and spotted movement. " Well?" Hidan's voice was as impatient as always. " Did she buy it?"

" Yes." She didn't spare the male a glance while passing by. " Now let's go back to the base – I'm sure Leader-sama wants to hear these news…"

* * *

Orochimaru's eyes barely moved when Kabuto entered his office. " Well?"

" The scouting mission was a success, although we lost five", the gray haired informed in a rather flat tone. " We've got all the information we need."

His allowed his fangs to show and eyes to flash. " Very good."

" What's the next move?"

He waited for a while, enjoying the taste of the moment. " Prepare everyone", he commanded in the end. " We'll attack tomorrow. Make sure Sasuke-kun doesn't manage to warn that… playmate of hers."

* * *

In the humans' base Danzo was having a meeting with Sai. " So… You say there was seven of them?"

The raven nodded. " That's right. We managed to handle five, two escaped." The boy held a pause, as though to sort out his head. " This… is everything we managed to get."

His eyes gleamed dangerously. " This is more than enough." He then chased his thoughts away from the sight before him for a second. " Now go home. Consider your duty done for today."

Sai left without saying a word.

Once the boy had disappeared, he heard the voice of Neji, who'd been stood on his other side, completely silent thus far. " What… do you want me to do?"

" Get the new silver", he commanded without a beat's hesitation. " It's time to give it a test ride, especially now that we have a battle at hand."

Had he paid even the slightest bit of attention, he would've noticed how the brunette hesitated before leaving. All his attention was, however, on their newest prisoner.

When the vampire lifted his head to look at him, red hair moved enough to allow him a clear visual of eyes that burned with utter rage and hatred.

He quirked an eyebrow.

_A feisty one, hmm?_

An icy grin appeared.

_That makes this all the more fun, then._

* * *

TBC, riiiiiight?

* * *

A/N: And so it begins, as soon as in the next chapter. Soon we'll see which side(s) fall, and what kind on alliances are made. (shudders) Poor Gaara! (sniffs) Wonder what Neji's gonna do now…

Heh, there's no rest for mad authors, so I've zooming out for now. PLEASE do review before following the lead! After all, you do want to give me fuel to keep the keyboard burning, no…? (wink, wink) (Me, bargaining? Nah, never!)

Until next updata, folks – I hope you're all still ready for more bloodsucking!

Peace out!

* * *

**The species and genders of characters (male/female):**

Werewolves: Naruto (m), Kiba (m), Koharu Utatane (f)

Vampires: Sasuke (f), Gaara (m), Kimimaro (f), Orochimaru (m), Kabuto (m), Suigetsu (m), Juugo (m), Karin (f) (Zaku (m)) / Kakashi (m) / Konan (f), Hidan (m), Kakuzu (m)

Humans: Neji (m), Sakura (f), Sai (m), Shikamaru (m), Shino (m), Danzo (m)

Unconfirmed: "the stranger" (m), Temari (f)


	5. Betrayals

A/N: Well how 'bout this – chapter five already, and I've managed to keep up timely updates! Hooray! (jumps with joy)

Heh, before getting to the actual chappy… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all those AMAZING reviews! (huuuugs) Your comments really, REALLY are precious to me, ya know? (grins and nods)

Awkay, I'll quite the babbling now so you can get to the actual business, un. (grins) I REALLY hope you'll enjoy this one, because I definitely did love writing it!

* * *

/ _When there was a knock on her door late at night, a part of Mikoto knew to expect trouble. That's why she ushered Itachi into a closet, and would've placed baby Sasuke there as well if she hadn't been crying hysterically._

_She frowned when finding her uncle Madara from behind the door. " Now what are you doing here at this hour?" Then she saw the three grim faced soldiers behind the man. Her heart nearly stopped as she began to understand. " What…?" Quite slowly her eyes turned towards her uncle, demanding and filled with fear. " Madara, what's the meaning of this?"_ (1)

_Madara's eyes didn't change. " She's the one", he announced, speaking as though she hadn't been there although he was looking at her. " She let a vampire bite her two years ago. It was the man you just arrested."_

_Her eyes widened while his fell to Sasuke, who was still crying hysterically. Her eyes smoldered while she tried to shield her baby from prying looks. By then she was trembling pitiably, from rage and about a dozen other emotions. " Don't you dare…!"_

_Madara didn't seem to even hear. The man's eyes darkened still from their usual shade. " That brat's also a vampire." Dark eyes then darted around. " There's also another child, but he's human. He should be here somewhere."_

" _Let him starve to death – we got what we came for." The man's – Danzo's, his nametag said – hold was harder than iron when he grabbed her, putting silvery handcuffs to her wrists. She wasn't sure which made her scream more – the way silver burned her skin, or watching how Sasuke was roughly stolen away from her arms. Seeing her tears, the man punched her viciously. " Stop that whining before I break your jaw."_

_The tears wouldn't stop rolling while she bowed her head, not bearing to look at the still crying Sasuke or the closet in which Itachi was. " Please…" She tried, although she knew those words would be of nose use – she had to try, for the sake of her children. " Don't do this to my babies… Don't make them…"_

_But it was much too late for any prayers._

_The next hit indeed shattered her jawbone._

-

_They didn't know that the second child Madara had mentioned was nearby. From the closet he'd been watching the scene with wide, teary child's eyes that simply couldn't comprehend what was happening._

_During the three full days Itachi spent in the closet he didn't utter a sound._ /

* * *

/ _Exactly twenty-four hours before the time of her labor, Kushina's eyes were filled with despair and something close to terror while she stood outside the humans' base, shivering as icy wind slashed her skin over and over again like a whip._

_She must've stood there for over an hour – repulsed by the looks of pity people passing by gave, as well as despising the suggestive glances soldiers took her way – until the one she'd been waiting for finally arrived._

_Danzo's eyes were just as hard and stony as she'd remembered when he stood before her, his gaze flaring with hatred when straying to her mightily swollen bump. " I thought we said everything necessary the last time around."_

_She was a strong person, but even she had her limits. And right then, hard as she tried, she couldn't help the tears that rose into her eyes. __" I… I __need__ your __help__." __Never before had words tasted that bitter in her mouth. She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes for a moment before going on, her whole frame trembling uncontrollably. " They, the vampires… They caught Minato yesterday." When those words were out, when she was finally forced to actually believe them, her eyes overflowed. She didn't wipe the tears away, didn't want to give the still stone-faced man the pleasure of seeing how her hands trembled. " And… I know you can help him – you're the only one who can help him. So please…!"_

" _I'm not about to let that beast out on the lose just because you were an idiot enough to let him knock you up!" The ferocity of Danzo's voice would've made a lesser soul take several steps backwards. " I'm not jeopardizing my men because of that _thing_!"_

" _He's the father of your grandchild, damn it!" she snarled back, tears – this time those of fury – still rolling. She grit her teeth, fought with all her might to keep herself from punching him while the baby kicked persistently inside her. She took several deep, wheezing breaths. " Dad, please…" _I'm begging you.

_But the man's expression didn't change, didn't soften the slightest. He turned around sharply. " You may be my daughter, but you also made your own choice. Now live with it."  
With hot tears rolling and the shivering of her body intensifying, she couldn't hold it back any longer. " I hate you!"_

_Danzo stopped, for just a second, then kept going as though nothing had happened._

_It was the last time they met._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 5: Betrayals

* * *

Naruto's heart thumped while he licked his already very well moist lips before attacking the ones only millimeters away, pouring in absolutely everything there was in him and more.

He was beyond reason, beyond caring, beyond modesty. All he felt was the _need_ inside him, burning like lava.

" You really enjoy scratching me, don't you?" came a rather dry voice that shuddered slightly with the same there was pulsating all over his being.

He grinned, his fingernails trying out the soft skin of the other. " I love listening to you moan."

Sasuke's onyx eyes flashed while meeting his. The vampire's skin – as well as her breath – was hot when she pushed her upper body upwards, erasing absolutely all the distance there'd been and whispering into his ear in a voice he didn't know. " Do you want me to bite deeper?"

He emitted a growl, giving her shoulder a nearly possessive bite. She tasted like salt and something sweet he'd never met before this. " I'm the only one doing the biting here", he all but barked out, making his point even more pronounced with several steamy kisses.

He grinned mischievously when the raven's bag arched and she granted him an easy entrance. " We'll see about that, Naruto."

" Naruto."

He frowned. That wasn't Sasuke's voice.

" Naruto, wake up before I hit you, damn it."

Now that made his eyes fly open – to meet Kiba's face. He blinked twice. " Huh?" Pushing himself into a sitting position he blinked again, trying to comprehend. The disturbing dream was seriously messing his brain functions. " What… Why are you waking me up?"

The brunette gave him a dry look. " Naruto, you were moaning so damn loudly that I'm surprised you didn't manage to wake up half of the place." One eyebrow moved with curiosity. " What were you dreaming about, anyway? It must've been damn good stuff."

He felt his cheeks heat up gloriously while he half glared at his friend and crawled out of the bed. " None of your business, pervert."

Kiba only smirked toothily. " With the sounds you just made, you shouldn't call _anyone_ a pervert."

He threw a pillow at his friend. Then – just as the brunette's head turned – he noticed something that made a frown appear to his face. There was… something on the other's neck – a bruise or something similar he couldn't see clearly with all the shadows hanging in the room. " What the heck is that?"

Kiba – obviously knowing what he'd just spotted – quickly brought a hand to cover the mark from his eyes, and managed to create a grin that _almost_ fooled him. " Nah, it's just a practice injury, that's all – you know how rough those bitches can get."

His frown deepened and his tongue burned with questions wanting crawl out, but in the end he decided against addressing them – Kiba would never tell him the truth when the brunette was like this. So instead he sighed, taking a glance towards the clock. " C'mon then, cat breath", he commanded. " It's time to go to train, anyway."

* * *

Sasuke's eyes flew open and she drew in a deep breath, blinking twice at the ceiling above her before her eyes narrowed.

Her dreams were getting far too disturbing.

Emitting a groan she got out of her bed and put on her clothes, eventually leaving the room without making much of a sound.

She needed a lot of fresh air.

Unfortunately as she entered the base building's balcony she found Orochimaru instead of an opportunity to ease her mind. Before she ever managed to hurry away the man's eyes met hers, gleaming a little in moonlight. " Ah, I see you woke up already as well." The man studied her as she took a stand as far away from him as she possibly could. " Did your dreams disturb you?"

She frowned without looking at him. How could he…? " Any news on Gaara?"

Orochimaru, apparently, wasn't entirely pleased with her question. There was a long pause before the man finally spoke. " No. But I've instructed all my… associates to keep their eyes open. I assure you, Sasuke-kun… If he's alive, we'll find him."

The 'if' part made her eyes narrow.

There was a long silence, and she almost managed to forget the man's very unwanted presence until he spoke. " I have a feeling your friend and dreams aren't the only thing bothering you."

" I'm capable of doing my job", she snarled through her teeth. " So long as that doesn't change, I don't feel obligated to give you any further report on the workings of my mind."

" Fair enough." It was incredible, really, that although Orochimaru didn't even approach she _felt_ his touch as he spoke. " Take care of all your duties, and you're allowed to play however you please."

She grit her teeth and all but bit her tongue to wipe away venomous words. She was extremely privileged to have as many liberties as she had, she knew – many vampires from her clan envied her. She couldn't jeopardize her position, no matter how much this all sickened her.

" I need a little walk." With little effort she managed to climb to the edge of the balcony, her by then red eyes directed towards the landscape below. " I'll be back for the midnight briefing." With that she jumped, falling away from Orochimaru's grasp.

-

About ten seconds after Sasuke's departure Orochimaru's eyes moved while Kabuto appeared to the balcony. " Well?"

The younger male nodded. " The half-breed's out."

He grinned icily. It was time to strike. " Send in the troupes." His eyes turned dark, sinister. " We have to take care of this swiftly."

* * *

As the raven opened his eyes, he blinked once when meeting nothing but darkness. Then, very slowly, his eyes were able to make out a roof, and his ears sharpened to soft sounds. The last sense to return was feeling, and he shivered when sensing someone wrapping a bandage around his arm, which had been wounded pretty badly when he'd first woken up in this strange place.

" So you finally woke up." Sakura's voice carried something he'd never heard in it before – stiffness, almost. " I was wondering if my mentor's mixture was too strong for you."

Very slowly he turned his gaze, and could just make out Sakura sitting in a chair beside his bed, working on his injuries with such skill that it truly baffled him. It took several moments before he found the strength and will to speak. " How… can you work in this darkness?"

He was fairly sure she smiled slightly. " I've had a lot of practice." She then made a tugging motion, almost bringing pain. " Now hold still and be quiet, so I can get this done."

He frowned, by then convinced something was out of place. " Is… something wrong?" He then clicked. " Have I done something wrong?"

Sakura, apparently, decided to cut the chase." When you slept I saw your tattoo – the raven", she announced, catching him by surprise he wouldn't show. The girl held a long pause. " I know you're a vampire."

He frowned, looking at her with a frown and trying to understand what he saw in her eyes. " Why haven't you gotten rid of me yet?"

The pinkette smiled faintly. " Not all human beings feel that way. I'm just… surprised, that's all." She then got up slowly, picking up the equipment she'd brought along. " I'll come and check up on you as soon as I can. Try to rest – your wounds are healing nicely, but you're still far from full health."

He nodded, feeling bemused while watching her leave and close the door behind her.

It seemed this human cared about him for some reason. She took care of him, ignoring all laws and regulations.

Suddenly things seemed much more complicated than before.

-

Once she was out of the room, Sakura leaned her back heavily against a wall and rubbed her face with one hand. Hard as she tried she couldn't ignore how weak her legs felt, how completely defenseless she was all of a sudden.

She was losing her mind, wasn't she? Getting this worked up over a vampire…

" Sakura." Her mentor's – Tsunade's – voice was all it took to make her jump and almost yelp. The woman frowned. " Is something wrong?"

Miraculously enough she managed to smile. " No. I just…" She glanced swiftly towards the door behind her, hoping the blonde wouldn't notice. " I've been up far too many nights, I guess. I'm tired."

Obviously Tsunade didn't believe her, but didn't press forth, either. " Well, then…" The woman looked towards the door as well. " Did you find out anything?"

She nodded, swallowing. " You were right." For some reason saying those words made her feel cold inside. " He's a vampire."

Tsunade nodded, not appearing surprised. " I had such a feeling." The woman then seemed to come to think of something. " Why don't you make me a cup of tea? There's a ton of paperwork I have to go through. Then go to sleep before you pass out."

She nodded, her mind far away. " Of course, Tsunade-sama", she muttered absentmindedly, starting to make her way towards the kitchen.

" One more thing, Sakura." Tsunade's voice was so sharp that she didn't dare to turn around. " Relationships between different species are complicated, to say the least. Trust me – I've experienced it." There was a pause. " Remember to keep your distance, for your own sake."

She grit her teeth. " I will", she all but breathed out, once more starting to walk away.

If only things had been that simple…

* * *

Meanwhile Neji felt something far too close to guilt when he realized that he awakened the female vampire when entering her newest cell. She'd had barely any sleep for quite a long time – she would've needed rest. " I came to make some tests", he announced, his voice just as formal as usual.

She nodded, seeming to try and wake herself up. With how many times over they'd done this her stretch of an arm no longer carried tension – apparently she'd decided to trust his needless, at least a little bit. (For some reason that made him feel… good, almost, although thinking so made him feel like he'd been betraying his girlfriend's memory and his daughter.)

The female's eyes were thoughtful when she pulled her arm from his reach, withdrawing into herself. " You're the only one who doesn't make it hurt", she said after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. He was surprised when she decided to speak that much – usually 'thank you' or something as short was all he got from her during these visits.

Surprisingly enough he managed to keep his expression rather blank. " Hn." She had no need to know that her words made him feel warm for the first time in a long time. He was mercifully unaware of the fact that his eyes were slightly softer than usual while he put away his equipment. The vampire, on the other hand, wasn't as oblivious.

He frowned when spotting the strange look on her face. " What?" he asked, more harshly than he'd intended.

She shook her head. " Nothing of any importance."

Not really understanding, he focused on what he was doing once more – until something Danzo had given him less than an hour ago slipped to view from under his uniform. It was a rather beautiful bracelet that could be meant for either a man or a woman, made of silver and leather.

The vampire's eyes moved in an instant, locking to the item. He'd never seen a change as dramatic and sudden as the one coming over the female just then. Her green eyes flashed hazardously, and something close to a hiss erupted through her tightly grit teeth. " Where did you get that from?"

He frowned despite himself. " Why do you care?"

Her eyes narrowed, locking with his. " Get out of here, right now", she snarled, a hazardous hue covering her eyes. It was apparent she was more than willing to use force.

He knew there was no point in arguing – he'd only make things worse with staying against her will. That's why he turned slowly, starting to make his way out and wondering what had happaned. " I'll stop by again later. Maybe you'll be calmer then."

The vampire didn't respond.

He wondered why he felt as bad as he did when leaving the room, admitting defeat. As soon as he closed the door he could hear a vicious scream from the room.

-

Kimimaro inhaled and exhaled sharp, wheezing breaths, her eyes blazing with rage and tears she wouldn't shed in this place.

They… had Gaara. Those bastards had actually caught Gaara, trapped him the way they had her to do who knows what.

And she… She'd been an idiot enough to almost allow herself to believe that perhaps Neji wasn't like the others.

Her eyes narrowed to slits while she brought a protective hand to the bump in which her child grew – she _and_ Gaara's child.

This was no time to get sentimental. She'd have to work fast if she wanted to save her family.

She wasn't planning on rotting in this place much longer.

-  
Stood in an observation room that opened a much too clear visual into to room and towards the vampire, Sai felt somewhat sick to his stomach when watching her anguish.

No being deserved that.

" Well, I think this confirms that one knows the male – they must be from the same clan. The ogre she carries may be his." Danzo's eyes were sharp, almost chilling. " This is going to be interesting."

* * *

In the meantime Naruto found his instincts leading him once more. Although he wasn't in his wolf form his moves were swift and suave while he zoomed through alleyways and passed by a building after another. Then, so suddenly that he confused even himself, he stopped before fire ladder and climbed up as fast as he possibly could.

For some reason he wasn't surprised at all when he noticed Sasuke as soon as he got up, sitting cross-legged a beat away from the roof's edge.

In a second her gaze turned towards him, and her eyes flashed. " You again."

He grinned, approaching without an invitation. " Nice to meet you out of trouble for once", he commented.

The raven scoffed. " In case you haven't noticed, trouble often follows on your tales, idiot. I'm expecting you to have at least half of a army chasing you."

Half jokingly he peered over his shoulder. " Nope, no one there, unless you count some pretty nasty looking crows."

Sasuke looked away, appearing mildly amused. " Hn." She went on after several seconds. " Shouldn't you go back to your pack before they find out what's going on?"

He shook his head without even thinking. " Nah. I'm having way too much fun here."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose. " You know what the law says about this kind of interaction."

He shrugged, taking a seat without even thinking about it. " Yup." Koharu had reminded him so many times that he remembered much too clearly. " But… It doesn't matter that much." He yawned foxily and stretched, his skin almost touching the female's. " With this view, I'd say fuck the stupid rules and laws." Neither of them noticed that his eyes flashed towards Sasuke.

Was that a smile he saw almost catching a hold of the Uchiha? " Dobe."

He rolled his eyes, only to notice that a smile wouldn't stay away.

Suddenly the city spreading far below them didn't seem threatening or gloomy. Actually, with the torches placed everywhere it seemed to be filled with fallen stars.

" You know…", he murmured after a second of thinking. " I kinda understand why you like coming here."

Sasuke shot a halfhearted glare his way. " I come here because it's _quiet_ here. So shut it before I push you off the roof."

He made a small, rather amused sound, refocusing on the view. He never noticed that his hand crept slowly to side and grabbed the vampire's.

He knew there was a great chance of someone finding out what he – they – were doing. But at the moment all threats and punishments felt impossibly distant.

He'd never been one to worry about the future too much. Why should he start now?

* * *

When Kiba woke up from the slumber into which he'd sunken after hard training, the hair in the back of his neck immediately rose high up and his eyes flashed while cold shivers of dread ran through him.

Something was seriously wrong.

Making far more noise than he'd first intended he got out of the bed and all but stormed out of his room, ignoring the fact that he had only his boxers on and barely noticing that Naruto still hadn't returned. What he found when entering the building's main hall made him freeze and his face blanch.

Vampires, at least half more of them than he knew there to be werewolves in the building. They'd been sloppy enough to get ambushed in their most important base.

His eyes grew significantly, and his breath hitched. " Oh fuck…"

* * *

As per usual, Danzo's face carried no emotions apart from annoyance as he entered a laboratory, followed by Neji whom he'd ordered to come along. " I understood you had an important demonstration for me", he stated gruffly, feeling revulsion when seeing the redheaded male vampire strapped to a chair nearby. The male's eyes mirrored his emotions.

" Yes, I do." His best scientist Gatô had what looked like an expression of excitement on his face while the man started to work on the vampire. " You see, I just finished the new type of silver – I found the part we'd been doing wrong." The man took a huge needle, pulling gray, liquid looking substance into it. " This new prototype is even more effective than the one we had at first – unlike the first version this attacks directly to a vampire's cells, then explodes them from the inside."

His eyebrow rose with genuine curiosity. " Are you sure it works?"

" Of course." Gatô didn't seem to even notice how the vampire gave a restrained wince when the man placed a cuff extremely tightly around the redhead's right arm, then injected the serum. " I'll isolate the damage to only one limb, to give you a demonstration."

He nodded sharply, anticipation making his skin tingle.

At first it looked like nothing was going to happen. Then, so quickly it caught him by surprise, the vampire's skin started to change – bubble. Blisters appeared one after another, and as they burst one by one more and more skin died away. The vampire fought remarkably long and bravely – most definitely forcing himself to show no other signs of discomfort but trembling – but in the end a loud, nearly animalistic howl of pain after another erupted. In the end the redhead fell unconscious, the pain undoubtedly becoming more than he could bear. In a matter of three minutes the limb had been damaged far beyond repair.

Danzo found himself trembling with excitement, barely daring to believe.

Gatô grinned somewhat wickedly. " See? I told you my product would work. And the best is that anything can be made of it – bullets, weapons, bombs, gas… The effect is always the same."

He nodded, his flashing eyes barely noticing anything but the suffering being before him. He could hardly believe that after so many years they'd finally succeeded. " Neji." His voice was filled with emotions he couldn't hold back. " Get the money. Give Gatô anything he wants. Then call Madara and tell him it's time."

The brunette nodded curtly before leaving. If he'd paid more attention he might've noticed nausea on the boy's face.

His breath hitched while he balled his fists to keep himself from roaring victoriously.

It'd been done – _finally_. They had the perfect weapon against both their enemies.

They were ready for a full flexed attack.

* * *

TBC, if you want it to.

* * *

1) Just to clear things out, in this story Mikoto is a member of the Uchiha family. I haven't decided if Fugaku's surname needs to be mentioned later yet.

* * *

A/N: Oh dear… (gulps) It looks like things are only heading downhill from here. Poor… everyone! (almost huggles, but changes mind when seeing A LOT of glares)

Gah, I've gotta get going now! **PLEASE**, leave a review before tuning out – you know how much hearing from you means to me, ne? And I've got a ton of chocolate chip cookies I'm not indenting to eat… (wink)

'Til next update – 'hope ya'll all stop by then!

Take care!

* * *

**The species and genders of characters (male/female):**

Werewolves: Naruto (m), Kiba (m), Koharu Utatane (f)

Vampires: Sasuke (f), Gaara (m), Kimimaro (f), "the stranger" (m), Orochimaru (m), Kabuto (m), Suigetsu (m), Juugo (m), Karin (f) (Zaku (m)) / Kakashi (m) / Konan (f), Hidan (m), Kakuzu (m)

Humans: Neji (m), Sakura (f), Sai (m), Shikamaru (m), Shino (m), Danzo (m), Gatô (m)

Unconfirmed: Tsunade (f), Temari (f), Madara (m)


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey there!

Eh… I know it's been ages, and I'm so sorry that I'm returning with something that isn't a new chapter. But the thing is, I've been doing some thinking.

I kind of lost inspiration to this story, and for the longest time I wondered why it was. Then it dawned on me. This little story was begging to be turned into a YAOI fic.

So… What do you say – would you still be on board if this became a YAOI-story? The plotline would also go through some alterations; I'd wipe away all gender-beging, several side-stories (leaving only one behind – the triangle with Sakura, because those people are important to the story), and make the war a even clearer part of the story.

The altered story WOULD start under the title 'Moonlit Crimson, edited'.

Please, do leave your vote, because this is all up to you – after all, you're the ones I'm writing this for! I seriously need your help right now.

Once again, I'm so sorry for the inexcusably long wait! But I really hope I'll be able to get back to ya guys soon!

Take care!

~Sandy

* * *

'_Moonlit Crimson -_

_Why is love always the sweetest when it's forbidden?_'


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